Rail-joint.



I .Patented Apr. 15, I902. B. H. TRIPP.

RAIL JOINT.

(Application filed Dec. 26, 1901.3

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W'ih asscs f W 1/7 d UNITED STATES PATENT BRADFORD H. TRIPP, OF MARCUS,IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANCIS S. BARNES AND BENJAMIN RADCLIFFE,OF MARCUS, IOWA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent No. 697,569, dated April15, 1902. Application filed December 26, 1901. Serial No. 87,319. (Nomodel.)

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BRADFORD H. TRIPP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marcus, in the county of Cherokee and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Rail- Joint, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in rail-joints.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction ofrail-joints and provide a simple and inexpensive one which will supportthe end of the rails and prevent the wheels of a train from wearing andinjuring the rail ends and also to provide a brace to take the place ofthe ordinary chair and for holding the side braces or fish-platesinplace by means of bolts.

Figure l of the accompanyingdrawings represents a perspect-iveview ofthe ends of two rails, showing this improved rail-joint lock appliedthereto. Fig. 2 represents a perspective View of the inside truss-bracedetached. Fig. 3 represents a transverse vertical section taken on line3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of the outer sidebrace detached, the View being taken from the inside of the plate. Fig.5 shows a perspective view of the bottom double truss-brace, a portionthereof being broken off.

The same reference-numeralsindicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The form illustrated shows the meeting ends 1 1 of two ordinary railssupported at their bottoms by a double truss-brace 10, which takes theplace of the ordinary rail-chair and which is held in place by two sidebraces," hereinafter to be described. The rail ends 1 1 are recessed ontheir inner faces, adjacent to their meeting ends, at 2 and arepreferably provided with beveled shoulders, as 3. p This bevel may bemade as shown in the drawings or exactly the reverse, so that the lip onthe side brace, hereinafter described, may dovetail into the rail, ifdesired. The rails are provided on the outer edges of their bottomflanges with notches, as 4, for engaging reraining-bolts hereinafterdescribed. These notches are made wider than the diameter of the boltsthey are to receive in order to providle for the expansionandcontraction of the rai s.

An inner truss-brace 20 is provided with a downturned flange 21, bentinwardly at their edges and adapted to engage the edge 11 of thetruss-brace 10 and the inner edge of the bottom rail-flange and bindthem closely together. This truss-brace 20 is preferably provided on itsinner face adjacent to the flange 21 with a groove 22, into which theseedges extend. This truss-brace 20 is provided at its upper edge, along aportion thereof, with an extension or lip 25, having the end thereofbeveled to fit in the recess 2, whereby the ends of the rails arebridged and practically a continuous rail is formed. The upper edge ofthe truss-brace 20, adjacent to its extended lip 25, is adapted toextend under and engage the lower face of the rail-heads. These partsare held together by bolts 26 and 27, which extend through bolt-holes,as 13, in the double truss-brace 10, through the notches, as 4, in theinner bottom-flanges of the rail ends and through the holes 28 and 29inthe trussbrace 20, where they are secured by nuts 28 and 29. These nutsmay be held securely on the bolts by nut-locks. (Not shown.)

The outer truss-brace 30 is provided with a downwardly and inwardlyextending flange 31 and having a groove 32 on the inner face thereofadjacent to said flange for receiving the outer edges of the truss-bracel0 and the bottom flanges of the rail ends 1 1. This fishplate 30 ispreferably in the form of a trussbrace, and the upper edge thereofextends up flush with the top of the rail ends and is provided with ashoulder 33, which extends under and engages the lower face of therailheads on their outer side. The upper edge of this plate is recessedto form this shoulder, and the inner face of said recessed portion fitstightly against the outer side of the railheads. This plate is clampedin adjusted position by means of bolts, as 31, which extend throughbolt-holes, as 15, in the double truss-brace 10, cross over the bolts 26and 27 through the notches, as 4:, in the outer bottom flanges of therail ends 1 1, and through the holes 36 and 37 in the plate 30, wherethey are secured by nuts, as 38.

The fish-plates 20 and 30 being made in the form of truss-braces afforda more perfect support for the rail ends, bearing as theydo on therail-heads and the outer edges of their lower flanges only.

The double truss-brace 10 for the bottom of the rail ends takes theplace of a rail-chair and forms a suspended support for the joint to beused between ties. The brace is made slightly shorter than the space itis to fill and will be sprung in place by tightening the bolts.

I claim as my invention- 1. A device of the class described comprisingthe upwardly-convergi11g inner and outer truss-plates designed to bearranged at opposite sides of a rail, and a bottom support havingdownwardly-converging sides, substantially as described.

2. A rail-joint lock comprising inner and outer truss-braces adapted toengage rail ends at their head and bottom flanges, and a doubletruss-brace adapted to be connected with the lower edges of said braces.

3. A rail-joint lock comprising inner and outer truss-braces adapted toengage rail ends on their opposite sides, said braces being adapted toextend up on each side of a rail even with the top thereof, and a bottomsupport connected with said braces.

4. The combination with the rails, of a bottom-supporting brace,truss-braces provided with flanges for engaging the edges of said bottombrace and the edges of the rail-flanges, said truss-braces beingprovided with means for engaging the rail-heads, and means for fasteningsaid parts together.

5. The combination with the rails and fishplates, of a doubletruss-supporting bottom brace adapted to extend under said rails, andmeans for connecting said rails, fish-plates and bottom brace.

6. The combination with the rails, of a double truss bottom brace havingthe edges thereof extended flush with the edges of the bottomrail-flanges, and side braces adapted to engage the edges of saidflanges and brace and hold them together, said braces having means attheir upper end for engaging the rail-heads, and means for holding saidparts firmly together.

7. The combination of rail ends disposed adjacent to each other andprovided with recesses on one side thereof, a bottom support for saidrail ends, and a truss-brace having an extended lip adapted to engagesaid recesses.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixedmy signature in

